Monthly Archives: August 2014

Building brand awareness is an essential part of building a successful business. It takes a lot of time and hard work to build a brand that people recognize but when done right your company will prosper. Once you have established your brand in your home country, you’ve built a reputation for your business that you can use to market your products or services on a global scale.

The important thing to remember is that the methods you’ve used in the past may not be effective when marketing abroad. You’ll need to change your strategies and cater your marketing efforts to match the needs of the new consumers you’re targeting and the following tips can help.

Build Global Awareness for Your Brand by Understanding Your Customers

If you want people to remember your brand, then you need to understand your customers and appeal to their wants and needs. For example, you need to know when and where they shop. What are they looking for in a product? How often do they shop? What is the average yearly income?

All of these are things you need to know in order to market your product effectively and build brand awareness anywhere but especially when you’re targeting a foreign country. You need to understand your customers and learn as much about their shopping habits as possible, before you can build global awareness for your brand.

Speak Their Language

You’ve probably heard many times that communication is key to running a successful business. You need proper communication within your company so everyone stays on the same page but you also need to communicate with consumers, associates and other professionals within the industry. When marketing internationally, communication becomes more difficult because of the language barrier but there is a solution.

Through proper language interpretation and translations, you’ll have the tools to communicate efficiently. You’ll also know exactly how your brand translates in the new language and it’ll help you avoid making mistakes that insult or confuse foreign consumers. By speaking the language and respecting the culture of the targeted country, you’ll make a good impression that will help you build global awareness for your brand.

You’ll also need to make a big online impression through website localization. In other words, you’ll need your website translated into various languages to match the language spoken by your targeted audience. This will make your company more appealing to foreign consumers and help them remember your brand better. You’ll need to do the same with your advertisements and all other information that you want to provide.

Consumer needs change depending on location, which means you have to change your marketing strategies to match in order to build awareness on a global scale. Learn how the market works in the new country, get to know and understand the consumers and their buying habits and use professional interpretation and translation services to communicate more efficiently. Following these tips will help you successfully market your business in a foreign country, so you can build global awareness and enjoy the same success you’ve achieved in your home country.

When marketing a business internationally, you can’t use the same strategies that made your business a success in your home country. The type of currency used, the laws associated with transporting goods and the language spoken are some of the differences you’ll need to deal with but that’s not all.

Consumer buying habits and needs will also be much different, which means that you can’t use the same strategies that have led you to success in your home country. You’ll need to adjust your strategies to match these changes and avoid the three most common international marketing mistakes below.

Not Changing Your Marketing Strategies to Match Consumer Needs

One of the biggest mistakes companies make with international marketing is trying to market their business in the same way they do in their own country. This is not going to work for several reasons but mainly because people are different and they expect different things from the products they use.

The buying habits of your targeted audience will be much different from what you’re used to. For example, where and when consumers buy along with what items they buy the most will not be the same, which means the marketing methods needed to reach these consumers will also be different.

While there may be a few items that sell well in both countries, most consumers in the foreign country will be interested in different products. In fact, you may find that a specific item that barely gets any sales in your home country is quite popular in another. You must learn the difference in the cultures and do research to discover which items are the most valuable to these consumers and market accordingly.

Not Using Online Resources Appropriately

When it comes to online marketing, your website does matter. You need website translation to translate your information into the language spoken by the consumers in the country you’re targeting. You should do the same with your social media sites so consumers can get to know you better in their language.

Consumers will be more likely to consider using your company when the information is in their own language. All of your ads should also be in the native language of the targeted country and that is something else that our professionals here at UniVerse Language Solutions can help with.

Not Using Professional Interpretation Services

The importance of hiring a professional interpretation service can’t be stressed enough. Proper communication is an essential part of running any business and you can’t afford to take chances. There’s more to interpreting languages than simply translating the words. For example, you need to interpret the meaning of the words because they have different meanings in different languages. If you just interpret the words, you may be sending the wrong message.

Another reason to use professional interpretation services is that these experts can help your company avoid embarrassing situation such as having a slogan that is insulting or that means something inappropriate in the new language.

By avoiding these common international marketing mistakes, you’ll greatly improve your odds of success when venturing into the foreign market.

International marketing has opened doors for many companies by providing ways to expand your business across the globe but you’ll still face a lot of competition. For this reason, you need to find ways to make your company stand out in the foreign market. You need to show how your business is different from all the rest and give consumers a reason to choose you over your competitors.

Great customer service and quality products are necessities that will help your company grow and prosper. Consumers look for these two qualities in a company but it’s not always enough to make you stand out from everyone else. This is why you need to take steps to show your targeted audience why choosing your company is beneficial to them.

Stand Out in the Foreign Market by Offering Something Unique

One way to stand out from your competitors is to offer something unique that no one else in your industry provides. You could offer free shipping on all your merchandise, give special discounts for popular items or design a product that no one else in the industry carries.

It doesn’t really matter what you offer as long as it’s something unique and interesting. Your goal is to entice them to choose your company over the competitors but to do that, you’ll need to capture the attention of your targeted audience.

Maintain an Open Line of Communication

When traveling to a foreign country or when setting up conferences and other marketing events, you know ahead of time that you’ll need a way to communicate with those who speak a different language. You have time to prepare for these events but there will be times when you’ll need these services unexpectedly.

Having the means to communicate efficiently with foreign clients in a moment’s notice will help your company stand out. It shows that you are serious about providing the best service possible and that will help build a trusting relationship with your clients.

Create a Strong Identity for Your Brand

Your identity defines your brand and helps consumers recognize you when they see your logo or hear your slogan. This is why it’s so important for you to create a strong identity for your brand. Start by creating a vision statement that explains your company’s goal for the future and find ways to develop your brands personality.

The way consumers view your company will affect the experience they have when using your products or services. Developing your brand’s personality, will help create a strong identity for your company that consumers will remember whenever they need the items that you provide.

Successful companies make a lasting impression on consumers and applying these tips to your marketing strategies will help your company stand out in the foreign market.

Whispering interpretation is the simplest form of language interpretation used because you don’t need any type of equipment to perform this service. The interpreter doesn’t actually whisper because that would strain the vocal cords after a few minutes. Instead, he’ll speak in a normal voice but using a very low tone so he does not disturb others in the room.

One interpreter can only interpret to one or maybe two people since he is speaking in a low, soft voice. If more than a couple of people need the information interpreted, then you’ll need more than one interpreter or a different type of interpretation service.

This type of interpreter is most often used when negotiating business privately with a client or when holding small informal group meetings. The interpreter will stand or sit beside of you in the meeting and interpret the information directly to you. Whispering interpretation services is also used during site visits because the interpreter can easily walk along beside you since there is no equipment needed.

If you plan to travel to a foreign country for business or pleasure, the whispering interpreter can also travel with you as a personal escort to make your trip more productive. For whatever reason you need this type of service, you do need a qualified interpreter that you can depend on to do a professional job.

Professional Whispering Interpretation Services Is Necessary

Even though this type of language interpreting is the most casual of all services provided, you still need the information to be interpreted in a professional and efficient manner. For this reason, an experienced and knowledgeable interpreter such as the ones here at UniVerse Language Solutions should perform the whispering interpretation.

In the event you need to address the speakers, the interpreter can interpret your message for you. However, if you think this will be necessary, discuss it with the interpreter in advance to make sure you’re getting the right kind of service. Every situation is different, so you might benefit more from a different type of language interpreter depending on the circumstances.

Work With the Interpreter to Prepare for Your Meetings

Before any meeting, talk to your interpreter and let him know exactly what to expect. He needs to know what type of meeting you’re attending along with the subject discussed. This will ensure your interpreter has the knowledge and skills to interpret the information correctly. For example, you don’t want a medical interpreter to accompany you to a meeting where the topic of discussion focuses on scientific material. He wouldn’t have the skills and training to do the job properly.

If you plan to visit a site or attend a dinner to continue the negotiations over a meal, the interpreter also needs to know all the details in advance so he can plan properly. Everything will go much smoother when you provide adequate information in advance.

The goal of the whispering interpreter is interpret the information in such a way that it does not interrupt the meeting or disturb others around you. A well-prepared, professional interpreter will ensure everything goes according to plan.

What’s Better: A Generalist or a Specialist?

OK – I’m going to make you work a little bit this time. Here’s a Quiz for you:

You live in Florida; It’s July; The Air Conditioner in your Toyota just stopped working! Where do you take your car to get the A/C fixed?

a.) The local tire shop where the signs on the building say: “Tires, Brakes, Alignments, Transmissions, and A/C”?

b.) The Service Department at the nearby Jeep Dealer?

c.) Your Brother-In-Law, Murry, who says he fixed his own A/C once.

d.) The Toyota Dealer where you bought the vehicle – which happens to have a complete, separate Heat & A/C department dedicated strictly to Toyota vehicles?

You walk into the unused guest room of your house; You’re in bare feet and the carpet is soaked; You go into the garage and discover the Water Heater has sprung-a-leak and flooded the entire garage and guest bedroom. Who do you call?

a.) A “Handyman” you find on Craigslist who says he fixes everything?

b.) Home Depot to see how much a new Heater costs – because you have a Soldering Iron and figure you can “Do-It-Yourself”?

c.) The first “General Plumbing” company that pops up on Google?

d.) A bit more “Googling” yields: “Water Heater Express” who claim,… “Repairing/Replacing Hot Water Heaters is the ONLY thing we do. There are 32 items on your Water Heater we can fix BEFORE we are forced to change your entire Water Heater. We’ll show up within an hour and have you ‘All Fixed Up’ within two”.

Your 7-year old son hasn’t been feeling well; You get some tests done; The results come back; He’s diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)! (Editor’s Note: RELAX! This is only a blog post – but this scenario does make for a good example dudn’t :). So where do you take your son?

a.) Take him back to the “Family Doc”?

b.) Take him to one of the doctors the Family Doc suggested – who are staff doctors at the nearby hospital?

c.) Take him to New Orleans to the best “Voodoo Witch Doctor” you can find?

d.) Get on Google again (how did we ever live without Google,…?) and find Dr. Spock of “The Child’s Leukemia Center of YOUR City” where Dr. Spock’s bio reads:

“I have treated and cared for children with Leukemia my entire 33 year career. In fact, for the last 16 years, I have done nothing but research the disease and treat children under the age of 10 that are diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).”

Well, by now I’m pretty sure you get the point – and I could probably stop right here. But the fact is,… I’m on a “Roll” so you’re just going to have to “Put Up With Me”. Therefore, I shall Press On.

And the Obvious Point is:

If you’re looking for Simultaneous Language Interpretation provider, why choose a “Generalist” when you can have a “Specialist”?

Now given the above scenarios, why would you even consider going anywhere else but to the Specialist? The Specialist “Is Exactly” what you need. The Specialist “Does Exactly” what you need done. The Specialist is the perfect match between Problem & Solution – because, well,… he’s The Specialist.

Now I’m pretty sure, simply because you’re here reading this, that at one point or another you’ve looked for Simultaneous Language Interpretation service providers. And I bet this is what you found: Just about every provider you dug up on the internet claimed to “Do It All”. Meaning:

Legal, Medical, Corporate Transcriptions

Document, Technical, Web Site Translation

Audience Response systems

Keypad Voting Devices

Voice-Over Service

Web-Cast Dubbing

Telephone Interpreting (Consecutive)

Legal Interpreting (in the courtroom)

Medical Interpreting (between doctor & patient)

And Finally,… Simultaneous Language Interpretation

Truth be known,… Universe did a lot of that in the past as well – particularly a lot of written translation. But some number of years ago, it became pretty clear that trying to “Be-All-Things-To-All-People” just wasn’t an effective business model. It’s just plain hard trying to be good at everything – if not Impossible! So Universe made the decision to strip it all away except Simultaneous Language Interpretation.

So over the past 15-Years and Having worked Hundreds & Hundreds of Simultaneous Language Interpretation events,…

Here’s where we’ve worked:

Small Hotels

Huge Hotels/Resorts

Convention Centers

University Campuses

Corporate Headquarters

Theme Parks

Government Facilities

Here’s who we’ve worked for:

Corporate/Private/Governmental End Clients

Event Planners

Production Companies

Audio/Visual Companies

Independent/Individual Language Interpreters

Other Simultaneous Language Interpretation Service Providers

Here are some of the Difficulties we’ve conquered:

General Radio Frequency Interference

Placing the Interpretation Booths behind the stage where the massive amount of A/V equipment kills the Radio Frequency broadcast to the audience

Events where the Music, Audience, Sound System is louder than the Interpreter’s voices

Locations where this is no room for an Interpretation Booth (or not an “Entire” booth)

Equipment/Booths that don’t fit into the venue’s elevators

Interpretation Equipment failures

No sound system to feed audio (the presentation itself) into the Interpretation Booth

The distance between the A/V Platform (our audio feed source) and the booth itself being too far apart to connect with normal cabling

Managing the Distribution/Collection of the audience’s individual Receivers (up to 6,000 of them for a single event)

OK – Think I’m finally running out of gas. But let me leave you with a fun Challenge. I Challenge you to call any of the three of us here at Universe and try to “Stump” any of us with a question, problem, or issue of any kind. Go ahead. Here’s our direct phone numbers.

Carlos Solis (504)512-2012

Simultaneous Interpretation Equipment

Shipping, Logistics, Transportation

Equipment Sales/Rentals

Troubleshooting/Technical Issues

Giovanna Serrano (504)528-8675

Language Interpreters

Contracts/Schedules/Finance

Interpreter/Technician Assignments

Event Preparation & Structuring

Kevin Enos (407)535-1810

On-Site Event Execution/Management

Equipment Technician

Client/Venue/Staff Liaison

Sound System/Microphone/Audio Engineer

Here’s the point: I claim that you can’t talk to any one of us (regarding our particular piece of the business) for more than 3-4 minutes without it becoming crystal clear that we REALLY KNOW THIS BUSINESS! We REALLY know what we’re doing. And that we REALLY ARE “Specialists” at Simultaneous Language Interpretation.

Love to hear your comments below (or at least know that you survived all the way to the end of this post),…

Here’s a Huge Industry SECRET You Need To Know!

Once upon a time, I worked as a Software Engineer for one of the largest corporations on the planet (hint: they make refrigerators and jet engines,…). And as you might expect, for the most part,… we lowly engineers were managed by,… well,… managers. Managers meaning non-engineer types. Our bosses had accounting, business, management degrees,… but very few were actually engineers who had spent time in the trenches like us.

Can’t you debug that Operating System any faster?

So, we had non-engineers telling real engineers what to do and how to do it. Getting the picture? You’re right. Doesn’t sound like a good idea does it? Well, we didn’t think so either. Can’t even begin to count the times when we were asked (told) to do something that made no sense at all, or just plain couldn’t be done, from a software point of view. So many times it just seemed like the case where “They didn’t know what they didn’t know”.

Well, what does all that have to do with Simultaneous Interpretation? I’m pretty sure you’ve already figured that out. You just can’t beat an organization where the Owners/Operators/Managers have done, or still do, what their organization provides. And that’s exactly what you have with Universe.

Then after years “In The Trenches” they made the natural transition – from individual Simultaneous Interpreters to Simultaneous Interpretation Service Providers. So, Universe Language Solutions was born!

Giovanna Seranno

These days, Carlos mainly runs the technical part of the business while Giovanna handles the business end. But they both still, on occasion, “Man The Booth”.

So given their background and experience, they know First-Hand:

How to tell a good interpreter from a marginal interpreter.

What type of environment an Interpreter needs to perform well.

How to match Interpreters (skills & background) to the intended audience.

What it’s like trying to interpret using wrong or inadequate equipment.

What the assigned Technician/Conference Manager must do to execute a clean, problem-free event.

What assortment of equipment will be best for any particular event?

The value of providing the Interpreters with specific, presentation content prior to the start of the event.

Now the obvious “Flip Side” of this coin is that, from what we’ve seen and heard, most other Simultaneous Interpretation providers are NOT Owned/Operated/Managed by interpreters. Many are not even bilingual. Now I’m not saying that they can’t effectively manage their business or execute successful events,…

But, you just can’t argue with the benefits (tangible & intangible) of:

Talking To

Coordinating With

Depending Upon

Brainstorming With

Negotiating With

Developing/Changing Schedules

Working With

Someone who’s “Been There and Done That”!

OK, I think I’ve made my case. So you can rest assured that, when you work with Universe, you’ll be working with an extremely capable, well-seasoned “Pro”. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!